A woman from Lagos, Nigeria, has entered the record books after weaving a handmade wig that measures 351.28 meters (1,152 feet, 5 inches) in length.
Professional wigmaker Helen Williams spent more than two million naira (almost $2,500) and 11 days making the wig, which is longer than seven Olympic swimming pools.
Williams first made the underlay using wig-cap netting and black fabric fixed to a bicycle helmet, before using 1,000 bundles of hair, 12 cans of hair spray, 35 tubes of hair glue and 6,250 hair clips to complete the piece, according to a statement from Guinness World Records.
“Finding the materials to make the longest wig was not an easy task,” said Williams in the statement. “My experience as a wigmaker helped a lot.”
She has been making wigs for eight years and produces 50-300 per week.
“I have trained hundreds of students and have made thousands of wigs,” said Williams, although her record-breaking endeavor still proved difficult.
“At some point, I felt exhausted,” she said. “However, friends and family encouraged me. I did not want to let them down, so I maintained my focus. The outcome is the longest handmade wig in the world.”
Given its size, Williams found it difficult to find a space to lay out the wig to be measured. She eventually managed to do so along the highway between Lagos and the city of Abeokuta.
Now, the wig is kept in her office, available for people to admire “whenever they want to,” she said.
“My advice to everyone out there is: dreams are attainable,” said Williams. “However, the journey is a very rough one.”
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